It was another warm day in Connecticut, but it didn't stop people from showing their pride.
"Hot and sticky, but excited to be here," said Johanna Schubert, co-chair of West Hartford Pride.
Schubert helped plan West Hartford's 5th annual Pride celebration, a tradition that started in 2019.
"We want to hope that normalizing LGBTQ identity and celebrating it as much as possible means that one less child feels alone or isolated," said Schubert.
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Organizers, voluteers, town and state leaders along with dozens of participants rallied in front of Town Hall Saturday morning.
"We want a festival that reflects our town and our community and where everyone who lives here feels safe," said Schubert.
She says the event has grown over the years. In 2021, they hosted it in Blue Back Square. The following year, they expanded to the Town Hall parking lot. That's where it has been for the last two years and Schubert says thousands of people attend the festival.
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"I have plans to go to New York City Pride, but this is my first one of the year," said Julia Hart, of East Windsor.
Hart came out to the rally and festival with her mother. Both say they were looking forward to a full day of food, entertainment, and more than 100 vendors.
"I just think visibility is so important," said Hart. "People have this identity, and it's not something you can disagree with, it's just there and that's how it is and that's how the world is."
She and her mom say they appreciate the town's commitment to celebrating the LGBTQ community.
"It's nice to know that the people who live around you, the people you go to work with, and get coffee with, these are the people that are in your world, and you should be happy about that," said Susan Hart, Julia's mom.
